*Follow: Matthew 5-7*

If the whole family is doing the homework together, shouldn’t we do the lessons together on Sunday? I thought so! Parents will be a part of our small group this Sunday, January 25.

I have a little confession:

I loooooooooove my job.  I LOVE discussing scripture and theology, especially with students.  I love learning, and being able to share the things I have learned.  Love.  Love.  Love.

But.

I am finding in our study of Matthew that there is an overwhelming amount of things that I want to explore and discuss!  We could get lost by going deeply into a short passage.  For example, we could spend DAYS pouring over Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it,” (NIV).  While there are times that going deep into The Word is so necessary, I want to be mindful that student ministry might not always be the time.  (We also need to have time for epic Q-Tip Wars, which we participated in yesterday.)

So, as a result of being mindful of how deeply we dive into the Matthew-waters, I have created two options for you to use as you finish your study of Matthew 5-7.  One is an overview that pulls out the big ideas; the second includes in-depth study notes.

Lesson for January 18 (Overview)          Super-Intense Notes on Matthew 5-7

For those who participated in small group on Sunday (which was a mix of students and parents!), we did not get very far into the lesson before we ran out of time.  (I am STILL disappointed by that!)  I vow that next week (January 25) to find a better balance between a light overview and super-intense lesson.

In the mean time, I pray that–as your family works out the daily devotional lessons together–you grow in your knowledge of scripture and your understanding of your Savior, Jesus.

Bring your questions next Sunday as we work through Matthew 8:1-34.

Homework for Jan 25

A New Season: NEHEMIAH

The students of CORE Youth Ministry have been studying Nehemiah alongside the members of Manchester United Methodist Church body.  Instead of being a traditional youth group that develops lessons independently from the church body, we have decided to become radical.  Our students (6th-12th grade) meet after church on Sunday mornings to discuss how Pastor Mike’s sermon on Nehemiah applies to our life today.  The students are studying the passage during the week, discussing take-home questions with their parents, taking notes during the sermon, and discussing areas of their life where they can apply biblical principles from Nehemiah, as well as other areas of scripture.  We believe this radical step in youth ministry will foster discipleship at home, with families, and develop strong disciples for Jesus.

Follow our journey through Nehemiah with our take-home questions, adapted from The Village Church’s Nehemiah series study guide.

Joyfully,

Kels

Basecamp [4]

CORE students get some help priming the Youth Room for the big update! #leadership

“Basecamp” is about preparing for a journey.  We have been preparing for CORE Youth Ministry’s big journey this summer merging with 7th and 8th grade students; until now our preparation has come in the form of brainstorming ideas (remember the white tiger idea?), cleaning the youth room and planning the new room design, and discussing lesson plans.

This past Wednesday, the students of CORE turned the preparation inward.

One important factor when beginning a journey is leadership.  We have all been a part of a group with natural-born leaders; other times we are a part of a group with weak or reluctant leaders.  One thing we can learn by reading both the Old and New Testament is that we serve a God who loves to show His leadership through the most unlikely people and situations.  Perhaps one of the most profound examples of this can be seen through the journey of the Israelites from slavery into the Promised Land.

Even though the lines of this picture have become a bit faded (click the pic for a closer look), you can see that the Israelite’s journey is full of ups and downs.  When you read Exodus (for the sake of the narrative, you can skip the laws of Leviticus and the census info from Numbers 1-10), Numbers 11-25, Deuteronomy, and Joshua you see an action and adventure-filled drama that is almost as unbelievable as the storyline of Twilight.  Almost.  (I haaaave to believe that God parting the Red Sea is more believable than a world where a vampire and a werewolf are both in love with Kristen Stewart.  Maybe that’s just me…)

This journey shows us good (and bad) leadership on the part of Moses, Aaron, and Joshua.  This journey also shows us the good (AND BAD!) example of God’s beloved people, the Israelites.  Read the story (Exodus – Joshua) and follow along on our slides [Leadership 4:6]. Ask yourself:

What are the lessons learned by the Israelites?

What lessons do we learn from the Israelites?

What great leadership qualities were displayed by Moses?  Aaron?  Joshua?  What poor leadership qualities were displayed?

What does this journey reveal about God?  What does it reveal about the Israelites?  What does it reveal about ourselves?

How can we be strong leaders in our new journey?

My prayer for you is that the God who delights in showing His powerful leadership through the most unlikely of people and situations would reveal Himself to you this week.  As we see through this journey to the Promised Land, our God hears the cry of His people, and He responds in powerful ways.

Basecamp [3]

Basecamp: The place where you prepare for a journey.

By now I am certain you have caught on: we are preparing for EXCITING changes at CORE Youth Ministry.

I am proud to announce that the huge journey we are preparing for is a new addition to our Wednesday night programming!

Beginning Wednesday, June 5 we will expand to include 7th and 8th grade students.  We.Are.Psyched!

Much of our “Basecamp” preparation revolves around dreaming and planning for a summer of super-sweet activities.  In honor of the epic launch of “Merge” we are kickin’ our summer off in style: A trip to Valley Fair!

Let the anticipation for an AWESOME summer (full of games, growth, and adventure!) begin!